fresh

Formsfresher, freshest

Formsfreshes, freshing, freshed

1. 1
   not preservedadjective

   Not dried, frozen, or spoiled; still in good, edible condition.

   The chef insists on fresh produce delivered each morning.

   These berries are still fresh after three days in the fridge.

   Oppositestale

2. 2
   new and differentadjective

   New or different, replacing what came before or added to it; also, clean and unused.

   After the divorce, she moved to Denver to make a fresh start.

   The new coach brought fresh ideas to a team that had lost six games in a row.

   UsageCommon in set phrases: make a fresh start, take a fresh look, a fresh pair of eyes.

   Similarnew, clean, different

   Oppositeold, stale

3. 3
   adjective

   Made, produced or obtained only a short time ago, so that little time has passed since it came into being or arrived.

   The report contains fresh data collected over the past week.

   Reporters were eager for any fresh developments in the case.

   UsageOften in fresh in your mind or memory, meaning still clearly remembered.

   Similarrecent, latest

   Oppositeold

4. 4
   not saltyadjective

   Containing little or no dissolved salt; not saline.

   Glaciers store much of the planet's fresh water.

   Once seawater seeped into the wells, the villagers had to carry fresh water from a lake farther inland.

   UsageBefore another noun it is usually one word: freshwater fish, a freshwater lake.

   Oppositesaline

   Note

   Here the contrast is with salt, not with stale: water is either fresh or salt, as a modern nursing text puts it. The pairing is old. The Drake voyage account of 1628 has fresh water running down a hill into the sea. William Scoresby, writing in 1820, shows the quality can be graded, from "perfectly fresh" to "saltish". Source

   Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

   • A modern nursing textbook contrasts fresh water with salt water. en.wiktionary.org
   • The Drake voyage account, The World Encompassed, was first published in 1628. en.wikipedia.org
   • The old voyage account describes fresh water running down a hill into the sea. en.wiktionary.org
   • William Scoresby's account of the Arctic regions was published in 1820. en.wikipedia.org
   • Scoresby describes water as sometimes perfectly fresh and sometimes saltish. en.wiktionary.org
5. 5
   crisp airadjective

   Cool and invigorating in a way that revives the senses.

   We hiked through the fresh mountain air at dawn.

   The fresh evening breeze swept across the valley.

   UsageVery common in fresh air, as in go outside and get some fresh air.

   Similarcool

   Oppositestale, stuffy

6. 6
   adjective

   Of leaves, flowers or other plant material: still green and holding their natural moisture, not yet dried.

   Fresh pine boughs decorated the hall for the festival.

   He much preferred fresh oregano to the dried kind.

   Similargreen

   Oppositedried

7. 7
   restedadjective

   Rested and full of energy; not tired or fatigued.

   A short nap left him feeling fresh for the evening shift.

   The team came back fresh after the halftime break.

   Similarrested

   Oppositetired

8. 8
   just come fromadverb

   Only a moment ago; very recently.

   She was fresh back from her travels and full of stories.

   The team returned home fresh off its first championship win, and the whole town turned out to greet the players.

   UsageUsed before out of, from or off: fresh out of milk (just run out), fresh from school, fresh off a win.

   Similarjust, newly, recently

9. 9
   stylishadjectiveslang

   Stylish, impressive, and up to date; cool.

   That jacket is fresh, and everyone at school wants one.

   The crew showed up looking fresh for the party.

   Similarcool, fashionable

   Oppositedated, uncool

   Note

   Praise in slang: something is fresh when it looks or sounds new and good, like sneakers, an outfit or a beat. Kool & the Gang's "Fresh" (1984) and J. J. Fad's 1988 single "Supersonic", which uses the word to praise its own beat, tie it to the music of the 1980s.

10. 10
    adjective

    Describing air that is clean and unpolluted, the way natural outdoor air is, rather than stale or stuffy.

    The basement office has no windows, so by late afternoon everyone is desperate for some fresh air.

    Away from the highway and the factories, the air in the valley is fresher than anywhere else in the county.

    Similarclean, pure, crisp

    Oppositestale, stuffy, polluted

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